Improvement in knitting-machines



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. J. APPL'ETON.-

\ KNITTING MACHINE. No. 107,750.

Patented Sept. 27, 1870.

` Sheets-Sheen 2. e.J.APPLETON. 7 KNITTING MACHINE. y No. 107,750. l Patented Sept. 27, 1870.

N fifa/fw www 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. J. APPLETGNL KNHTING MACHINE.A

Patented Sept.v 27, 1870.

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4 sheasneet 4 CJJ.APPLET0N.` KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 27, 1870,

To all whom, it may conce-rn dilated time strut Gtiiiirr.

CHARLES J. APPLETON, 0F COHOES, NEW YORK, YAS-SlGiNOR 4'IO HIMSELR EARL L. STIMSON, AND S. EDWARD STIMSON, OF SAM'EPLACE.

Letters Patent No. 107,750, dated September 27, 1870.

v IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTINGv'MACHINES.

The Schedule refen'ed to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. ArrLE'roN, of Cohoes, in the county of Albany,`and State of New York, have invented certain newand-useful Improvement-s in Knitting Machinery and I doA hereby declare that" the following is a; full, clear, and exact descrip.-

tion thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingy drawing makingpartof this specification, in which- Figure 1, plate 1,' is a top view of the improved machine.

Figure 2, plate 2, is a view of one side of the vimproved machine.

Figure 3, plate 3, is a section taken diametrically through the machine. i

Figui-e4, plate 3, is an eud4 eievation of the bearing for the tripping devices and toothed wheel.

Figure 5, plate'f4, is a top view of the machine, with portions broken away to expose the Vtwo sets of needles and the yarn-guide. Y

Figure (i, plate 4, is a view ofthe fabric as it would yhang from the machine while knitting `plain work,

showing the plain loops above and the ribbing below. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to improvements on that class of circular knitting machinery which is adapted for Vworking two sets of needles and producing seamless for automatically changing from ribbed to plain work and back again to ribbed work, and in retaining the loops last formed on4 the ribbing needles whenthese needles are adjusted out of operation, so that when the latter are again brought into operation the loops which were on them will be knit into the next courseA of ribbed work, `thereby binding the plain work and forming a welt, as will be hereinafter' explained.

The following description will enable others-skilled in the art to understand one' practical mode of carrying it into eiiect.

Y A and B represent two circular plates having circular passages, ma', centrally `through them, in which are exposed the operatingl ends'of the two sets ofv knitting-needles l) and gfand also the upper' ends of f the cam-cone F, and its cup E. ,4 l

The plate is allowed to rotate freely, which mo in place upon the plate B, but allowed to rotate freely.

lhe upper surface of the plate B is channeled radially to receive and guide the upper set of needles, b, which are latch-needles, but may be spring-needles; and the bottom side of tne'plate A has agroove, o, formed into it, of the shape indicated in dotted lines, iig. 5, for receiving the buts of the needles l), and giving the required movements to these needles toward and from the center of the machine.

Theribbing-needles g, which move up and dowlr betw een the needles b, are arranged in channels formed into the inner side of the cup E, which cup is sns- 4pende-d in the center of the machine, so'that its npper circular edge is nearly on a line with the inner edge of the plate B, as shown in fig. 3. v

Within the cup E is an inverted cone, F, having an oblique capi-groove, g2, in its cone surface for receiv ing the buts of the needles g, and giving vertical mo tion to these needles.

w is an adjustable section of the cone F, for increasing or diminishing the strokes of the needles g an(l L g' is a gate for allowing the removal of these necdles from and their' insertion into their channels.

The needles y are of the barbed kindand receive lip-and-dowlr motions from the oblique groove y? by the rotation of the cone F with the plate A.

The cup E,which is applied loosely. to the lower end ot' the shaft 'l of the conc F, by means of a nut and washers, and a loose plate, E', is prevented from rotating with said cone by means of the downwardly converging arms L L, which are secured to plate B, and which receive aga-inst theirlower ends lugs or ears, p1), on the exterior of the cup.

The shaft T rises vertically through a bridge, J, which is fixed to the plate A, and extended diametri- `cally across the vert-ical passage through the same, also through the tube J', which rises pernendicnlarly y.upper end of a level', I', as a cam, when shaft 'I is turned independently of the plate A, as will be further cxplaincd hereinafter.

The object of the cam-plate I is to move ,the beardcloser Oaway from the be'ards of needles g, when it is desired to allow loops to remainon these needles during the knitting of plaiuloops bythe needles b.

The lever l is pivoted to cars ottone side of the bridge J, at j; and to the lower end of this lever the heard-closer O is adjustably attached, so as to close the beards of' the needles g, when the latter eo-operatc with needles b in producing ribbed work. Above the cam-plate I, and rigidly seen-red to the shaft T, is an arm, G, which extends outward and downward, so that its outer end may bc received by veither one of two catches, h h2, and also be arrested by a dog, f, when the latter is released from its catch, c, as will be hereinafter explained.

The hooked catch h is piveted to an arm, l, which is secured to the handle H and this catch is held up .against a stud, r, on said arm, by a spring, s', in position for receiving ,and holdingr the end ot' arm G, as

shown in figs. 'l and 3.

'lhe hooked catch h'l is constructed with a backward extension, beneath which is a spring, Si, that presses the hooked nose of the catch h2 down upon a horizontal rest, r, which latter is applied to the post 7.', to which said catch is pivoted.

lhcse two catches h hz are arranged at such a dis-A tance apart relatively to the highest point ofthe oblique groove gi, and the yarn-guide lr, through which yarn. is f'ed to' the needles, that 1 when the arm G is held by the catch h", as in fig. 5, 'both sets of needles will operate and produce ribbed work, and when said arm G is held by catch h lthe needles y will be thrown outofoperation, and needles b will produce plainwork.

The helical spring S, which is coiled aroanl the tube J', is'connected, at one end, to cam-plate I, and

at the'otherend to the bridge J, and issinten'ded to `more the arm G over to the catch h, when this arm is reicased from the catch hi, as will he hereinafter lexplained.

'lhe yarn-guide k is arranged over the needles (j b' in' proper position to distribute yarn to them, anditis sceured'to the bridge J, and receives yarn from the handlcH, through which it is passed from the cap or spool.-

'lhe'fin'ger t, which also depends from the bridge J, is intended Ato hohl .the work down below, as the needles grise', and to prevent dropping of' the loops, while knitting ribbed work.

- A screw-thread or worm,of one or more turns, d, is formed around theciicuinfbrcnce of the plate A, and engages'with the teeth of thespur-wh'eel C. l

This wheel C is keyed on la Vhorizontal shaft, O', which passes through and has its bearings in a standard, Dl, rising f'rom the clamp-jaw Di, as shown in fig. 3.

Ou the outer end of shaftC is keyed a disk, C", having two tripping-pins, rl d?, fixed to its inner face,

yat proper distances apart, one of'which pins, d2, is intended to act on a sliding catch, e, while the other is intended fo act on a similar catch, c, at everyrerolution of said shaft. y

At the upperv end oi' the standard D, and extending inward or toward the center of the machine, is a head'Y D, which overhangs the plateAfand receives through it two spring-dogs, ff', arranged ene over the other, as shown in fig. 3.

The dogs are both acted on by springs s s, incloscd within the head D, oneef which springs will more the degfl inwardly, when released from its catch cl far enough to operate on the tail of' catch h2, and release from this catch the arm (i, thus allowing spring S to more this arm to the catch h. 'lhe other spring S will operate on the dog j' when it isreleascd from its catch e, and throw out this dog far enough to arrestth'e'arm G, and deliver its end to the catch', as the plate A is moved around. Thus it will be seen that the adjustments are automatic. g

The operation ot' the machine is as fellows:

The machineis secured .to a bench or table, and the operator sits in a Convenient position to turn the plate A, by grasping the handle H. The movable arm G is held in position by the catch h2, as shown in fig, 5, and" the plate A, with its attachments, is turned from left to right, as indicated by the arrowsn figs. l and 5, thusl knitting one and one ribbed work, as shown at 4 4, fig. 6.

With each revolution of' the plate A, the worin d moves the spur-wheel C, and when a suicient number of courses of ribbed work have been made, (regulated by the number of' teeth on wheel 0,) the outer pin (P on plate G2 trips the catch e, and releases the dog f, which is pushed by its spring s toward the center ot' the machine, and by its depressing the tail of catch h2, the arm G is released, and is thrown around, by springs, to the catch hl. The arm G, being attached to the shaft 'l of the cone F, (in the oblique groove in which the buts of the needles g work,) the cone F is carried around far enough to take the ribbing-needlesout of'the way ofthe yarn, as itis fed through the guide k, and yet these needles retain theirloops, 1 1, tig. 6, for,'by the action ofthe eccentric or cam-plate l and lever I', the presser o (which, in making ribbed work, acts to close the beards of the needles 9,) is moved inwardly away from the needles g, and the loops l 1, fi". 6, last formed on them, are retained.

The horizontal needles b continue to work and produce plain courses, 2 3, of knitting, for any desired number of revolutions.v In the machine represented in the drawing, three courses of' plain knitting are formed at every change.

llhe tail ot the catch h2 returns the dogf to its original position in the same revolution during which this dog was released, and the'latter is again held by its catch c.

When the given number of plain courses 2 3 have been made, the inner pi'nzl on the plate Cz pushes down the catch e, and ,the dog f is released and thrown toward t-hc center of the machine far enough to engage arm G. During the succeeding revolution the dog f depresses the catch hl and arrests the arm G, until the catch hais moved around and takes thisarm, when the beveledledge of rest r pushes .back the dog f to its original position, where it is retained by its spring catch c. v

The several part-s of the machine are now in their original positions, and produce 4ribbed work, 4 4, lig. 6; thc first course of loops taken up are thrown over the first row of plain loops, to ploducc the welt.

It will be seen, from the above description, that the annular welts are produced by two changes, to wit: From ribbing to plain knitting, and back again from plain to ribbed knitting. When a sufficient length of" ribbing is made, the ribbing-needles g are drawn down from between the horizontal needles b, in such manner that, when the former rise, they will be beyond the point where the yarn is fed to the horizontal needles b, consequently, while the needles r/ retain the loops last formed onthem, they do not f'orm other loops.

After the required number ot' loops have been formed by the horizontal needles acting alone, the ribbing-needles are again adjusted into operation, to pro duce ribbed work, when the first course knit will receive into it the binding-loops, which were, for atime, kept ont of the way. The retained loops, overlapping -thc plain loops, will round out the plain work, and

I produce a thickened place or welt. This operation is manner will not ravel, for the reason that ribbed work i 4 depressing the straight bar which carries the ribbingy eiect-ing`said object, as other devices equivalent theremy invention into effect, 1

and leave each piece with a `nsbed end, the fabric mst be cnt across through that course 'of ribbed loops, vnichwas the last course completed beforethe ribbing-needles were drawn out of the way, for the purpose of .knitting plain work. The work cut in this made on two setsofneedles will ravel only from the last loop made toward its predecessors, and will not ravel from a former loop 'toward the last made.

The making of welts on `flat for straight knitting-v frames has 10mg been performed, and is eiected by needles, but I believe that I am the first to have ever adapted a knitting-machine to produce welts on seamless or tubular work. y

I do not, therefore, confine myself. to the precise ferm andlarrangement of devices herein set forth, for

to may beemployed; jnor do I claim as my invention the combination, in a circular"knitting-machine, ot two sets of l needles operating together to produce tubular work. f v f Having described ouepractical mode of carrying What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. In a circular knitting-machine, havinpr twoV sets of needles,'mechanism substantially such as described,

which will admit of automatically adjusting one set of needles out of operation at pleasure, and producing plain work on the other set. j

"2. -A circular knitting-machine, having two sets of needles or ioop-formvers, and provided with vcontri-- vances substantially such as described, which will automatically eii'ect the changes from ribbedknitting 'to l plain knitting, and back again to ribbed knitting.

3., The automatically adjustable cam-cone F, in combination withv mechanism substantially such as 'dcscribed, for-producing welts on tubular-knit fabric.

4. 'lhe combination of an adjustb1e.beardpresser o, with the adjustable cam-cone F, said parts' working together, substantially as described.

tf'rh@ arm G, applied to me. Staa of me adjuster ble cam-cone F, and acted upon by a spring, S, in

combination with devices substantially. as described, which are controlled by the movements of the plate A, and adapted to operate said arm and cam, as set forth. v y

6. The arrangement of ngertin the relation shown to the rib-needles g, the yarn-guide k, and presser o, for the purpose stated.

` CHARLES JAMES APPLETON.

Witness-es:

E. W. FULLER, J AMES GnAMnn. 

